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Some people do New Year’s resolutions every year—a list of promises to
themselves, usually involving dramatic changes in behavior that seldom last
past the first few days of January. There’s nothing wrong with making
resolutions, if doing so actually works for you, but if it doesn’t, here’s
another suggestion.
One of the core tenets of witchcraft and magical work is the importance
of Focus and Intent. In order to create change (magically or otherwise), you
have to know what you want (Intent) and concentrate on putting that desire out
into the universe (Focus). And then, of course, you have to follow up with actions,
but that comes later. Whether you call yourself a witch or not, here is one way
to harness these things to bring about positive changes in the year ahead.
CREATE A GOALS AND DREAMS FOCUS BOARD
This is a variation on an activity that Blue Moon Circle and I did for
years, with an added twist or two. It is fun and easy to do, and you can either
do it by yourself of with a group of friends (or even your kids).
The idea here is to create a concrete manifestation of your goals and
dreams for the coming year (intent) and also a reminder for yourself of what it
is you’re striving for (focus). You can use whatever tools you want, and be as
creative or as simple as you choose.
Basic supplies might include a piece of poster board (whatever size you
want—we used to use large pieces, but I think this year we’ll stick to
something closer to regular paper size, so it will be easier to find a place to
put it once it is done) or you could use cardboard, or even a piece of wood.
You’ll want to have pictures cut out from magazines, or printed out from
online, plus pens and possibly crayons or markers, if you want to draw or write
on your focus board. Don’t forget the glue. Plain old white glue usually works
fine, and is safe to use with kids. You can also add anything else that appeals
to you. For instance, if your goal is to go visit the ocean, you can glue on
some shells. You see what I mean.
If you want, you can start by making a list of your goals for the year.
These may be professional, personal, spiritual, or a combination of all of
these. I tend to have one section of the board for each section of my life. For
instance, you could have a quarter of the board dedicated to relationship goals
(family, romance, etc.), one dedicated to financial goals, one to healthy goals
(exercise, diet, etc.), and one for impossible dreams. There’s no need to limit
yourself to only those things which seem “doable”. You never know what the year
might hold, or what the universe might have in store for you! This is your
focus board, and you can put anything on it that you want.
If you’re not a list maker, you can simply just sit down and start
working, and see what shows up. If you have a list, then you can organize how
you want the board to look by preparing things ahead of time, and then just
laying them out as you go.
You can clip out words or pictures from magazines that embody your goals
and dreams. I like to use words like joy, or success, or love, or health
(usually clipped out, but if I can’t find the ones I need, I can use a marker
or crayon, or print them out in a cool font on my computer) and then add
pictures that seem to embody those words and goals. You can also use
photographs of yourself, family, etc.
There is no right or wrong way to do your board—it is yours, after all. Just
remember to focus all your energy and intent as you create it. If you want, you
can say a spell for success when you’re done, or one for “Focus &
Achievement,” like the one in my book, Circle, Coven & Grove. When you’re
done, put the focus board someplace where you’ll see it, so you will be
reminded of the path you’ve chosen for the year. (Although if things change,
that’s okay too.) If you need to keep it private, you can tuck it under your
mattress or into a drawer, but try to remember to take it out periodically, and
check in on how you’re doing.
I hope the coming year brings all
your hopes and dreams to fruition!
